The Fundamentals of Eco Floristry
Your essential introduction to
foam-free floristry
The Fundamentals of Eco Floristry
Are you ready to learn eco-friendly, sustainable floristry, without the premium price-tag?
Are you looking for no-nonsense, straight-talking, jargon-free teaching methods based on real-life scenarios?
Have you always loved flowers and are thinking about a possible new career?
Have you been frustrated by old-fashioned design principles and methods taught at mainstream colleges?
Do you want to brush up your floristry skills and find some renewed enthusiasm?
Do you grow your own flowers at home and want to learn how to arrange them professionally?
Welcome, to the Great British Flower School!
We’re here to guide you and help you every step of the way….
Our aim is for you to learn how to turn your flower passion into a thriving and sustainable business using
your own flair and creativity, but with NO FLORAL FOAM.
We have both encountered outmoded and outdated design methodology and had to invent our own ways of creating
eco-friendly, (single-use) plastic free floral arrangements. We know how hard it can be to source the right materials, stay within budget and stick to sustainable principles but we’ve done it and are now here to show you too!
THE PROBLEM
We know how damaging floral foam is to the environment and the impact that traditional floristry has to
the planet. The issues go far and beyond floral foam alone, but we believe that teaching foam-free methods can make the single biggest impact. Sadly, most mainstream colleges haven’t yet caught up with teaching foam-free methods, and their design principles are old-fashioned and often outmoded.
THE SOLUTION – OUR ‘FUNDAMENTALS OF ECO FLORISTRY’ COURSE
✅ The Great British Flower School is here to offer an alternative. No-nonsense. Straight-talking practical teaching, that de-mystifies the theory and cuts through jargon.
✅ We focus on the down-to-earth practical stuff: How do you do it? Show me the exact step-by-step process. Where can you source alternative materials? What do you really need and what not to waste your money on.
✅ We’ll provide you with easy to follow, accessible instructions, clear, friendly and fun video demos and PDF downloads to reinforce learning and provide you with step-by-step references.
✅ We’re here to help you find and develop your own unique style. We like to encourage a creative mind-set, to set you free from outmoded design constraints and boring principles.
An introduction to the essentials, to start you on your foam-free floristry journey
and help you make the change
What do we teach at the Flower School?
We have foam-free ‘alternative’, eco-friendly ideas and solutions for EVERY situation – for weddings, for funerals, for bouquet transportation, for outdoor installation, for table decoration… everything! And it’s not just about floral foam either, we also need to address the miles of plastic ribbon, tape, cellophane, card holders and other single use plastics in floristry; Roz and Ali have learnt the hard way; trialling and testing all the alternative solutions and finding better options for their businesses over the years.
Ali’s floristry style is wild and natural – we like to let the ingredients dictate the design, and work with the natural twists and turns of stems. We like to encourage creativity and motivate you to experiment and try different textural contrasts and combinations. We are lucky enough to work with the beautiful seasonal ingredients that Roz and the team grow right here on the farm.
The Fundamentals of Eco Floristry -
online supported learning is only £297!
A complete, condensed guide to eco-floristry; a snapshot of the fundamental principles, techniques and tools and materials you need at very low cost. Everything you need to boost your confidence, and expand your foam-free floral repertoire without the massive outlay! This course is PACKED full of content - we have so much to share with you, and useful real-life scenario advice and practical tips and tricks from our wealth of experience in the Industry.
What do we cover?
We have carefully curated the modules to take you step by step through the essentials, building the complexity as we go and building and boosting your creative confidence. We will take you through 5 lessons in a clear, no jargon, easy to follow way:
Lesson 1 : Building Foundations
To get you started, we’ll take you through all the materials you need, including details on how to prep them and their pro’s and con’s; how to choose which method to use based on season, flowers and usage. Cutting & Conditioning flowers. Choosing seasonal flowers. working with British flowers and building flower farm relationships. This is so essential for success – we have learnt the hard way, believe us! If you don’t get the foundations right, your flower life will be compromised.
Lesson 2 : Let’s Master the hand tied spiral!
A must-have design technique for all florists which can be used for gift bouquets and market bouquets, as well as bridal bouquets and even for large vase arrangements. Once you have mastered the spiral, the floristry world is your oyster! Whether you want to create simple market bouquets for your cut flowers, gift bouquets for your floristry business, or whimsical and elaborate wedding bouquets for your wedding clients. Learning these fundamental skills will help you gain confidence, find your style, and develop your business. So many people get hung up on the bouquet making techniques, and so many courses get very technical, very complicated and over-egg the pudding in our opinion!
Lesson 3 : Bouquet wrapping and presentation
Presentation skills within floristry are an absolute must. It sounds obvious; but the presentation and packaging itself really DOES elevate your work and can mean the difference between selling a £35 bouquet or a £55 bouquet. The correct presentation also ensures protection and longevity of your flowers. Bouquet-wrapping is an essential skill to learn if you want to take your flowers to market, create beautiful gifts, or wrap and sell your work as a product in any way at all. Banishing the cellophane wrapping and aqua-pack has been a big obstacle to overcome for many florists, we’ll show you HOW to create beautifully presented bouquets, in an eco-friendly way that has proven itself to really work.
Lesson 4 : The versatile foam-free Meadow Box
Useful for so many occasions, the meadow box design is a popular choice for weddings, and useful to understand for installation work, e.g. mantelpieces and staircase designs. They can also be used as table display centre-pieces and aisle decor. No wonder the meadow box design mechanic is one of the most versatile in the foam-free floristry world. This simple foam-free technique will give you the confidence to scale up and the tools to be able to price a larger installation piece. Understanding that all the larger design works are really just made up of small, modular elements.
Lesson 5 : Funeral Casket Topper Masterclass
Sympathy flowers are a staple income for most florists, and a very useful floristry design capability to have in your armory. Learn how to make a foam-free casket top design, which is the most requested design piece for funerals. A valuable lesson to learn for all funeral work, including biodegradable woodland burial sites, cremations, and traditional burials. You will gain confidence with creating different bases, experimenting with shape and form and finding the way that suits you best, for the type of work you want to create and the product/service offer you want to put together.
And that’s not all!
Each video demonstration will have in depth accompanying course notes in PDF form – for you to access whenever and however you want. Close up shots, step-by-step instructions, and extra tips, tricks and alternatives for you to try on your own.
PLUS useful recipe cards for future reference..
Detailed step-by-step course notes for each module!
How will the course be delivered?
You will receive access to 5 in-depth step-by-step video demonstrations by Ali from our studio here at Field Gate Flowers. Ali has an open, friendly, chatty teaching style and doesn’t like using jargon. She will take you through what she is doing, in a naturally and relaxed way, as if you were there in the studio with her (mistakes and all!)
You can watch the videos whenever you like, and will have UNLIMITED access to the videos, so you can take it all in, at your own pace, when it
is convenient.
PLUS… 3 x FREE Extra bonus materials!
to help you on your Eco Floristry journey:
1. Shaping UP guide – our simple system to take the pain out of basic design theory.
2. Cutting and conditioning guide – to ensure longevity of your flower material, crucial for success!
3. Sourcing Mechanics – a guide to help you source the fundamental materials and mechanics you need to set up.
PLUS! Our FLOURISH online COMMUNITY
your own Private Facebook Community for the whole duration of your course
A Facebook group for you to ask questions 24/7 and feel part of a business community that has your back. No question is a silly question, we are all here to learn and expand our knowledge through shared experience. It’s also great to know that others are going on the journey at the SAME TIME as you – as the group will only be for your class cohort! We’re here to support you on your foam-free journey, so will open up the floor and regularly pop into the group to help answer some of your questions.
What’s your investment?
a low-cost minimal investment in your future floral adventures
We’ve thought long and hard about the content of an introductory level course, to give just the right balance of information, skills, knowledge and content but to keep the cost affordable and within reach for many. We firmly believe that eco-floristry is the future, and that it is important to spread awareness and knowledge to make this happen.
We have both invested heavily in our own training and development, have paid several thousand pounds on training, and have a combined industry experience of 20 years in the industry, learning and developing our techniques along the way.
We wanted to keep the cost under £300, and ask for that investment from you.
Not quite sure?
Wanna know more about Our Great British Flower School Philosophy?
Roz and Ali are straight-talking, down to earth people. When they met, their friendship was instant - with so many connections, past experiences and a very similar outlook on life. Ali is very much a creative ‘ideas’ person (mostly with her head in the clouds, if not in the flowers!), whilst Roz is the experienced grower and business woman who gets stuff done.
“The balance between grower flower-farmer, and florist is fundamental to success in this industry and as a partnership, we reckon we are a pretty dynamic duo! We laugh a lot, talk a lot, cut to the chase, work exceptionally hard to achieve our goals and like a no-nonsense approach. (It helps that we are both outdoor-obsessed people, with not only a shared passion for flowers, but a love of animals, our family and friends, and a love of Greece.)” Roz
So how does that benefit me?
Ali has been through the traditional teaching system, after re-training mid-career, from garden design into floral design. She quickly became frustrated by traditional floristry courses, methods AND teaching styles. At the same time, Roz was looking for a creative florist with a friendly teaching style, with industry experience, who could explain and demonstrate clearly.
The result? The Great British Flower School
This is for you, if you like your learning delivered in a friendly down-to earth style, and….
You are new or just starting out in floristry
You are ready for a career change, and thinking about floristry
You are a flower farmer, keen to learn professional floristry skills and techniques
You are a keen hobbyist who wants to learn professional flower arranging methods
Or… you are a traditional, foam-trained florist who is nervous about making the change to eco-techniques
Or… you studied at mainstream college but, like Ali, have been frustrated by old fashioned teaching designs
Or… you may just want to refresh, update and re-vitalise your existing floristry skills.
Still not sure? Let’s ask if any of these relate to you?
Are you nervous about ditching the foam for good?
Have you tried some eco-methods before, but had a bad experience?
Are you just starting out in floristry and keen to start off on the right foot?
Do you want to be more environmentally friendly but are just not sure where to start?
Have you looked for a course or training program and not found quite the right ‘fit’?
Are you worried that you are not ‘creative’ enough ‘talented enough’ or ‘skilled enough’?
Do you prefer to learn at your own pace, in your own time, but with professional support and advice when you need it? Maybe you like to take your time…or speed through content.
Do you just want to try at a low-commitment level, and decide whether this is for you?
Have you been put off by high fees for residential or ‘fast track’ courses?
At the Great British Flower School (GBFS) we believe that eco methods, environmentally friendly techniques and creative tips tricks and advice, should be available and accessible to all.
We are here to share our knowledge and experience, (and even our mishaps and blunders!)
Let’s be honest, the options available to you thus far, have been pretty limited
(we get it we’ve been there!)
We’re delighted that you have found us, and we can fix your problem.
Let’s work on it together…
Why should I sign up to the Great British Flower School when there are so many out there….?
It’s true – there is an overwhelming array of floristry courses available to you, so it’s important you choose the right one.
Let us tell you a bit more about ourselves…
Meet the Founders
Roz Chandler – Flower Farmer, Mentor, Business Strategist
Roz has always been drawn to the outdoors. Her journey began with a BSc in Environmental Science, later complemented by an MA in Digital Strategies, where she researched the sustainability of flower farming. With over 30 years in marketing and sales, Roz uniquely combines business acumen with hands-on flower farming expertise, making her one of the few globally to do so.
In 2012, she founded Field Gate Flowers, a thriving 5-acre flower farm in Lathbury, Milton Keynes. Committed to organic and sustainable practices, Roz and her team use biological and cultural controls, promote sustainable floral mechanics, and advocate for British-grown flowers. The business has worked on over 500 weddings and many thousands of farewell blooms.
Her expertise extends beyond the field—having built a successful digital marketing agency and served as a Non-Executive Director in UK agriculture, Roz knows how to turn a passion into a profitable and sustainable business.
Roz’s dream is simple: to empower more people to be sustainable in their flowery creations . She met Ali through a mutual contact and was immediately drawn to her floristry style, skills, and eco-conscious ethos. Over many cups of tea, The Great British Flower School was launched.
Ali Conway – Florist, Designer, Educator
Ali’s journey to floristry wasn’t linear, but it was always leading her here. With a Master’s degree in Psychology from Glasgow University, she initially pursued a career in marketing, working in agencies from SoHo, New York, to McCann Erickson in London. Despite the excitement of agency life, Ali longed for a deeper connection to nature.
Becoming a mother provided the opportunity to change course. She retrained in Garden Design while balancing motherhood, running a global postal design service, and freelancing for large firms. But something was missing—Ali had designed countless gardens for others but spent too much time at a desk, feeling disconnected from the very thing she loved.
That all changed when she discovered floristry. Launching Rambling Stems in 2020, Ali found her true calling in creating natural, foam-free floral designs with British-grown flowers. Her work resonates with clients who appreciate her warm approach, creativity, and unwavering commitment to sustainability.
Ali’s frustration with traditional floristry training—its rigid structure, outdated techniques, and lack of eco-conscious education—led her to a clear mission: to teach floristry differently. She wanted a school that prioritized sustainability, eliminated unnecessary jargon, and provided practical, relatable training. And so, her path aligned with Roz’s, and The Great British Flower School was born.
